Inside the Star

Police line up battered wheels for cyclists

Katherine Dalziel had almost given up hope when she saw it, lying wheels-up on the concrete floor of the police warehouse: her beloved blue and white Norco road bike, gone missing from a Financial District bike post just over a week ago.

Katherine Dalziel had almost given up hope when she saw it, lying wheels-up on the concrete floor of the police warehouse: her beloved blue and white Norco road bike, gone missing from a Financial District bike post just over a week ago.

But there it was, still whole, if a little bruised – the cream tape worn off the curved handlebars, the pedals flipped, the seat too high for the petite cyclist. At least it was there.

"I had very low expectations," said Dalziel, 45, who dropped by the Liberty Village warehouse yesterday hoping to retrieve the bike she bought 19 years ago, now probably worth more in memories than in cash. "I'm thrilled to have it back."

It was a day of hope and relief for many Toronto cyclists, the climax of a massive police bust that targeted what some consider the city's largest and most notorious bicycle theft ring.

Victims of recent and long-ago thefts trolled the warehouse yesterday, examining 215 battered and upended bikes – a mere portion of the loot recovered by Toronto police in a series of raids this week.

As the day wore on, the crowds grew thicker, so much that police extended the viewing by a day, stretching it beyond the weekend to accommodate cottagers and others on vacation.

Last night, 26 bikes had been reclaimed by their rightful riders.

The raids centred on The Bicycle Clinic, a second-hand bike store on Queen St. W. near Strachan Ave.

Police officers first spied two men stealing a bike on Queen St. W. Tuesday evening, just steps away from an unlocked bike the officers had planted as bait for would-be thieves.

In the next few days, police raided at least three locations, including the home of Igor Kenk, owner of The Bicycle Clinic, and a storage facility.

On Friday, officers removed some 150 bicycles from the store in broad daylight, drawing cheers and applause from a crowd of passersby who watched them lower the bikes from a second-floor window.

"Things are snowballing as we talk to the public," said Staff Sgt. Steve French of 14 Division. He couldn't put a definitive tally on the bikes, but said it went beyond the hundreds.

"It's fairly unique circumstances to have something of this volume," he said of the operation. Police are asking the public to inform them of any other premises or storage facilities tied to Kenk.

Kenk, 49, and Jean Laveau, 47, both of Toronto, are each charged with theft, attempted theft and possession of stolen property. Laveau is also charged with possession of burglary tools.

Police estimate some 4,500 bicycles are stolen each year in Toronto, but cycling advocates say thousands of thefts go unreported.

"It's a rampant problem in the city," said Bruce Abe, 47, president of Wheel Excitement Inc., a bicycle rental shop on the harbourfront. "It happens every day."

At the warehouse, Abe looked through the bikes like a man on a mission. He spotted one within minutes – a blue and silver Diamond Back hybrid worth roughly $300, the first of six bikes stolen this year from his bicycle rental business – and quickly alerted the officers at the site. After showing them the bike's serial number, Abe set the bike aside and went back to search for the others.

"I think I'll find about four," he said, flashing a list of the missing models.

Near the entrance, police officers confirmed each lucky find, poring over purchase receipts, registration records and photographs. They photographed bikes and owners together, and warned cyclists they may be called upon to testify.

Outside, the fortunate wheeled their bikes away towards vans, trucks and the open road. Brett Ballanger, 24, gave his Miele a quick once-over before riding off into the midday sun, back to his home in the Junction.

"I was lucky," said Ballanger, whose unlocked bike was stolen three months ago from a greenhouse behind his home. "Now I'm gonna lock it up all the time."

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